Research on artificial vision led to the Food and Drug Administration's approval last year of the first “bionic eye” for patients.

Philip Hessburg, M.D., medical director of the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology, says he believes the blind will see — eventually and through medical research.

“We have known for a long time that electronically we can interface with the brain or cranial nerve” and provide the link for the blind to experience greater vision, said Hessburg, who co-founded Grosse Pointe Park-based DIO in 1972 along with James Marshall, M.D., Jack Williams and John Dennehy.

As recently as 12 years ago, few medical researchers and scientists believed it was practical or even possible to give sight to the blind through technology, Hessburg said.

But cutting-edge research on artificial vision conducted by companies like Second Sight Medical Products Inc. of Sylmar, Calif., led to approval last year by the Food and Drug Administration of the first “bionic eye” for patients.

The retinal implant for patients with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa — an inherited retinal degenerative disease that affects about 100,000 people in the United States — induces visual perception and allows people who are functionally blind to see some images.

Philip Hessburg, M.D.

“The device gives some vision to people now who are completely blind,” Hessburg said. “If you were totally blind, you now can see the sun come up or a black sofa over a white rug. Those of us in this area of research are much heartened by these developments.”

Second Sight’s Argus II is a retinal implant designed to provide electrical stimulation to the retina. After the implant is surgically inserted into the retina, the patient uses special glasses outfitted with a video camera and processing unit that sends signals to a wireless receiver implanted in the eye.

Earlier this year, surgeons at Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health System implanted the first Argus II artificial retinas into the eyes of patients who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa.

Hessburg said this is only the beginning of devices that will be developed by scientists in the U.S., Germany, Korea, Japan, Spain and England that will give much greater range of vision to the blind.

“Are we there yet? Absolutely not. But we are getting closer,” he said. “The device from Second Sight is under 100 microelectrodes. The German device being brought to market will have 1,500 microelectrodes.

“We are on the cusp of tremendous advances in the field,” Hessburg said.

Hessburg likened early black-and-white television sets in the 1950s to the artificial vision devices being sold today.

“Prices will drop and the technology will rapidly improve,” he said. “One day, the blind will have useful vision.”

This Sept. 28-30 at The Henry in Dearborn, the DIO will put on its 13th annual The Eye and The Chip research congress for artificial vision for the world’s top 30 investigators.

“We pay all the expenses for researchers to come to Detroit. You will give a 20-minute presentation of your work and then take a 10-minute challenge by fellow investigators. It is no place for the faint of heart,” Hessburg said.